For this assignment, students will write a 5-10-page paper (not including references) which compares and contrasts at least two different approaches in the treatment of a specific type of offender with special needs. Papers should draw on academic research only (i.e., peer-reviewed journal articles, university reports, government reports, non-governmental organization reports) and include at least one meta-analysis or systematic review. The paper should (1) identify a specific type of offender and discuss their contribution to the overall crime problem (e.g., prevalence of offender/offense type), (2) discuss the specific special needs of this offender type, (3) provide an overview of the different treatment approaches, (4) discuss what is known about the effectiveness of each approach, and (5) discuss whether each approach should continue to be used to treat such offenders and/or if one approach is better than the other.
All papers should be double-spaced, have 1-inch margins on all sides, and be in 12-point Times New Roman Font. All references and in-text citations should follow APA formatting (see linked library guides for examples). Headings and sub-headings should also follow APA style. Other elements of APA style, including title page, abstract, running header, etc. are NOT required.
Students should identify a specific type of offender with special needs and at least two different approaches that are used in the treatment of such offenders. When thinking about the topic, it often helps to choose a topic that either touches you personally (i.e. one that you can relate to in one way or another) or is related to a current or future career interest, a community need, or a current issue in the correctional system. The following provide some examples of different types of special needs offenders and categories of treatment approaches. Students may select one of these example offender types or may combine several of these offender types (e.g. juvenile substance users, female sex offenders, female juveniles with substance use issues, etc.).
Examples of offender types with special needs: female offenders, juvenile offenders, substance users, mentally ill, psychopathic offenders, veterans, sex offenders
Examples of treatment approaches: psychoanalysis, family therapies, group therapies, reality therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapies, behavioral therapies, cognitive therapies, and/or specific programs
To gain a better idea of the different treatment approaches for special needs offenders, I would recommend browsing Chapters 11-14 in the textbook and/or visiting CrimeSolutionsLinks to an external site.. Once there, you may browse some of the programs that are featured in the Corrections & Reentry tab under Topics. You will also have the capability to filter programs along various dimensions including offender type, age, race/ethnicity, topic, and setting (institutional vs. community) among others. Please note that you may either select general approaches (e.g. psychoanalysis, behavioral therapy) or specific programs/approaches (e.g. reality therapy, systematic desensitization, functional family therapy).
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|